Sheet-feeding means.



H. L. BRIGHAM.

SHEET FEEDING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1916.

- 1,215,247. Patented Feb. 6,1917.

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-H. L. BRIGHAM.

-SHEET FE EDING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29,19I6- Patented Feb. 6,1917.

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UNITED STATES OFFICE.

HARRY L. BRIGHAM, or nocnron, MASSACHUSETTS, AssfeNon T0 TOLMAN 231m! INCORPORATED, or BEOGKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or ASSACHU- SETTS.

SHEET-FEEDING MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, .1917.

Application filed September 29, 1916. Serial No. 122,822.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY L. BRIGHAM, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Sheet-FeedingMeans, of

the like, in which the sheets are delivered separately by hand to the press.

Prior to my invention, a form of sheetfeeding means has been employed, in the above connection, in which the sheet was placed by hand against a pair of swinging fingers, which acted as gages to hold the sheet in position to be seized by grippers and carried onto the cylinder, it being necessary to place the sheet accurately in position against said fingers when the latter were swung to operative position, otherwise the sheet wouldbe spoiled. To reduce the liability of such occurrence, it was necessary to run the press at a slow speed.

The object of my invention is to provide, in connection with said previously employed sheet-handling means, automatic means for delivering the sheet to the gage-device, so that the speed of the machine may be greatly increased, and theliability of having sheets spoiled, from having'them inaccurately inserted, may be correspondingly reduced,

and, at the same time, the employment of skilled labor for the purpose may be avoided.

I accomplish these, and other objects, by the means shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, a side elevation and a plan view of a sheet-feeding apparatus embodying my invention.

Figs. 3 and 4: are detail views, showing the sheet-engaging fingers in different positions. g

Fig. 5 is a detail view of bronzing-roll controlling-means which I employ.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view at the line wm, Fig. 1.

A machine, of the same general character as that to which my improved form of sheetfeeding means is applied, is shown in U. S.

Patent #812,562, and only those parts relat ing directly to my invention have been illustrated.

As indicated in the drawlngs, the shaft 1,

of the sheet-carrying cylinder 2, is provided with a cam 3, which engages a rod 4, connected to an arm 5, on a shaft 6, to cause an oscillating movement of the gage-fingers, 7, mounted on shaft 6, said fingers, being adapted to move between an operative or sheet-positioning position, shown in Fig. 4,

and an inoperative or sheet-releasing posisheet-intercepting-arm 8, which is adjustably mounted on ashaft 9, and in the end of which a small wheel 10 is journaled, said wheel having a toothed periphery, and said arm being arranged to press said wheel onto the table 11, and preferably into a shallow slot formed therein to receive it. A finger 12 is also adjustably mounted on the shaft 9 in position to beengaged by a finger 13 on the shaft 6, said fingers being so adjusted that, when the shaft 6 is movedto swing fingers 7 to their sheet-positioning, or operative positions of Fig. 4, the arms 8 will be raised sufliciently to hold the wheel 10 out of contact with a sheet which is resting on the belts beneath it. A spring 30 on the shaft 9, acts to press said wheel 10 toward its normal orintercepting position.

A series of canvas feed belts 14 are arranged to be continuously driven about a pair of rolls 15 and 16, over a table 17 arranged at the level of the table 11, said belts being driven from the main shaft to travel toward the table 11, and guiding-fingers 18 being provided beneath the table to prevent the belts from running together. An edge guide 81, for the sheets, is provided on the table-17 in position to engage one longitudinal edge of a sheet, as it is fed by the belts 14, and said wheel 10 is arranged to engage the front end of the sheet at points adjacent the other longitudinal edge.

In operation, a sheet will be placed on the belts 14, with one edge against the-guide 31, and will be carried forward by the belts until intercepted by the wheel 10 on'finger 8, the sheet thus being held with its side edge against the edge guide, and its front edge against the wheel 10. In case only the front may will be to throw the diagonally opposite corner against the edge guide.

At the proper point in the cycle of operaand permitting the latter to be moved for-' ward by the belts until its edge abuts against the fingers 7, the parts being so timed'that the fingers 7 reach their extreme forward position just before the sheet is moved into engagement therewith. The sheet is thus momentarily held in position to be seized by the usual grippers and in order that the sheet may have time to become accurately positioned against the gage fingers, through the feeding action of the belts, the partsv are arranged to give said fingers a short dwell. The sheet is then grasped by the grippers and carried onto the cylinder, and, at the same time, thefingers are swung back out of the'path of the sheet. As soon as the fingers begin to move back, the wheel 10 is moved down, by the spring 30, into engagement with the sheet, so that it rolls on the surface of the sheet while the latter is drawn from beneath it by the grippers.

In practice the sheets are usually moistened before the bronzing operation, so that a finger which is drawn over its surface, or a wheel, having a continuous periphery, which is rolled over its surface, would make an objectionable mark on the sheet. To avoid this difficulty, I have provided the wheel 10 with teeth, the ends of which bear on the sheet, and leave no noticeable mark.

As soon as the sheet is drawn from beneath the wheel 10, by the grippers, the wheel will fall into the table slot in position to intercept the next sheet, but, if the next I sheet should have been placed on, or ride onto the sheet which is engaged by the grippers, it will be intercepted by the wheel 10, while the other sheet is drawn from beneath it, said wheel being adapted to prevent the forward movement of any sheet which it engages, unless it is actually grasped and drawn on by the grippers. F or example, if a sheet should not be fed quite up to, or

against the fingers 7, it would not be grasped by the grippers, and would, unless prevented, be fed beyond the position in which it would or should be grasped. However, as the wheel 10 reengages the sheet as soon as the fingers begin to move back, such movement beyond the desired position is prevented, and, on the next operation, the sheet will be released and fed against the fingers, al-

' though the movement in such instance would be short. 7

To prevent, as faras possible, the riding of a second sheet onto a previous sheet, the speed, of the feed belts is made slightlyless than the peripheral speed of the cylinder, so that the gripped sheet will always be fed faster than the sheet which merely lies on the belts.

The above-described operation will thus be a continued, the fingers 7 and arm 8 being moved alternately to release thesheets successively. I

The sheets are thus fed to the cylinder with much greater accuracy than by the hand method, so that the danger of spoiling sheets is greatly lessened, and, at the san'ie time, the speed of the machine may be greatly increased,as the operator merely has to place the sheets on the belts as fast as they r are drawn into the machine. Moreover, no speclal care or sklll is requlred n placing the sheet on the belts, as 1t will ordinarily be straightened by the intercepting-wheel,

and, if it is not perfectly straightened thereby, it usually will be straightened by the gage fingers.

In connection with said feeding means, I preferably provide means for preventing operation of the bronzin'g roll when no sheets are being supplied'to the machine, and the machine is still running.

In Fig. 5, the shaft 20 of the bronzing roll is shown as driven by a pawl-21, acting on a ratchet 22; on the shaft 20, and oscillated by a lever 23, driven by a bell crank 24, operated by a cam 25 on the main shaft 1.

According to my invention, an arm 26 on the shaft 9 is extended in position to be engaged by a pin 27, on the pawl 21, when the pawl is moved forwardly, to throw the latter out of action, and whenthe wheel 10 is not supported by a sheet, but rests in the slot of the table. lVhen' a sheet is passing beneath the wheel 10, the arm 8 will be raised, and cause the arm 26 to be raised out of the path ofthe pin 27, so that the driving action of the pawl 21 will not be interfered with.

1. A sheet-feeding apparatus comprising 'i ment,and means to move said interceptingdevice to reengage the sheet, as said gage is moved out of sheet-holding position, to prevent forward movement thereof beyond said delivering position by said feeding-means and permit forcible withdrawal thereof l from said position.

2. A sheet-feeding apparatus comprising a continuously-operating sheet-feeding means, a gage movable into the path of movement of a sheet fed by said feeding- 3. A sheet-feeding apparatus comprising.

a continuouslyoperating sheet-feeding means, a gage movable into the path of a sheet fed by said feeding-means to intercept the sheet and hold it in a delivering position, and movable out of said path to permit withdrawal of the sheet from said position, a supplemental sheet-intercepting device, adapted and arranged frictionally to engage the sheet and to hold it against -movement by said feeding-means, and automatic means to cause simultaneous movement of said intercepting-device out of intercepting position and said gage into sheetholding position, and to cause simultaneous opposite movement thereof, tocause re'elngagement of the sheet by said interceptingdevice, thereby to prevent movement of the sheet beyond said delivering position by said feeding-means, and permit it to be forcibly withdrawn from said position.

4. A sheet-feeding apparatus comprising a gage for holding a sheet in delivering position, sheet-feeding means arranged frictionally to engage the sheet to conduct it to said delivering position, a sheet-intercepting device, means to move said device to and from a position to rest on the sheet, to prevent movement thereof by said feedingmeans and permit forcible withdrawal thereof from said delivering position, and means relatively timed to move said gage out of its sheet-holding position and simultaneously to move said intercepting-device into its sheet-engaging position, and to move said gage into its sheet-holding position and simultaneously move said intercepting-device out of sheet-engaging position, alternately.

5. A sheet-feeding apparatus comprising a gage-device movable to and from a sheetpositioning position, a continuously operating sheet-feeding means arranged frictionally to engage a sheet to move it against said gage-device when in said position, a sheet-intercepting device and means to move said intercepting device into engagement with the sheet to prevent feeding movement thereof by said feeding-means, as said gage-device is moved out of sheetpositioning position.

6. A sheet-feeding apparatus comprising a gage-finger having means to. oscillate the same to and from a sheet-positioning position, a feed-belt continuously driven in the direction of oscillation of said finger to deliver a sheet against the same when in said position, an oscillatory sheet intercepting device arranged to be engaged by said finger in its oscillatory movements to move the same to and from a position to prevent feeding action of said belt as it carries a sheet toward said finger, and relatively timed to be moved out of sheet-intercepting position as said finger is moved into sheetpositioning position and to move said intercepting-device to rengage the sheet to permit forward movement thereof, except when forcibly withdrawn from engagement therewith.

7. A sheet-feeding apparatus comprising a gage-device, means to move said device to and from sheet-positioning position, a feedbelt driven to feed the sheet against said device when in said position, an oscillatory arm having a toothed wheel mounted to rotate freely thereon, and means to swing said wheel into engagement with a sheet carried by said belt as said gage device is moved from its sheet-positioning position to permit the wheel to roll on said sheet, as the sheet is positively drawn from therebeneath, and to overcome the frictional action of said belt on a sheet fed thereby.

8. A sheet-feeding apparatus comprising a feed-table having a sheet-feeding belt and means to drive the same continuously, longitudinally of the table,.a sheet-gage movable to and from a position to intercept a sheet fed by said belt and hold it in a pre determined delivering position, an edge guide arranged to engage one side edge of the sheet, as it is fed by said belt, an intercepting-device arranged to be moved into engagement with the sheet adjacent its opposite side edge, to prevent feeding movement of the sheet by the belt, and means alternately operating to move said intercepting-device out of sheet-engaging position as said gage is moved into sheet-holding position, and to return said device to its engaging position as the gage is moved out of its holding position.

9. A sheet-feeding apparatus comprising continuously-operated means arranged to feed a sheet to and beyond a predetermined delivering position, a sheet-interceptingdevice, movable between a sheet-releasing position and an intercepting position, to engage the sheet and hold it against feeding movement by said feeding-means, and means to actuate said intercepting-device to per mit feeding of the sheet to delivering position and to reengage the sheet, to prevent feeding thereof beyond said delivering position by said feeding-means and permit forcible withdrawal of the sheet from said position.

' sition, a

in mit forcible removal of the sheet from said delivering position, and, at. the same time, prevent forward actuation of the sheet by said feeding-means, on the opposite movement thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

' HARRY BRIGHAM.

Witness L. H. HARRIMAN.

Copies of'this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. V 

